Mohammad Kaif picks his India's Asia Cup squad, snubs Yashasvi Jaiswal; has his say on Shubman Gill's chances

Fans are eagerly waiting for BCCI to announce India's squad for the Asia Cup 2025 which is scheduled to start from September 9. Reportedly, India's selection committee is scheduled to meet in Mumbai on August 19 to select India's squad upcoming Asia Cup. The committee faces several challenging decisions regarding player selections, with the inclusion of key figures like Shubman Gill, Rinku Singh, and Mohammed Siraj being major points of deliberation.

No place for Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh in Kaif's India's squad for Asia Cup

Ahead of this official meeting, former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has put forward his preferred 15-member squad. Notably, his selection omits two dynamic young players: Rinku Singh and Yashasvi Jaiswal. Kaif rationalised the exclusion of Jaiswal by explaining that he sees the youngster competing with Shubman Gill for a single backup opener position.

In advocating for Gill's inclusion over Jaiswal, Kaif emphasized the need to reward Gill for his recent performances. He pointed to Gill's contributions during the Test series in England, where India secured a 2-2 draw, and noted that Gill, being the Test captain, has earned his spot in the T20 squad. Similarly, Kaif argued for the inclusion of fast bowler Mohammed Siraj based on his exceptional form in the same Test series against England. He highlighted that Siraj's performance, which saw him finish as the leading wicket-taker with 23 scalps, warrants a reward and a place in the team for the Asia Cup.

“Only one between Shubman Gill and Yashasvi Jaiswal can make the team. The way in which Shubman Gill approached the England series, he made it 2-2. He scored 754 runs. He also scored runs in the IPL, so I feel he should be there in the squad,” Kaif said on his YouTube channel.

“He might not make it to the playing XI, but he should be there in the squad. He should be there as the backup opener. Mohammed Siraj and Shubman Gill should be rewarded for their performances in the England Test series,” Kaif added.

Continuing with his squad selection, Mohammad Kaif suggested that Jitesh Sharma should be chosen as the backup wicketkeeper to Sanju Samson. He believes Sharma's strong performance for Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) during the IPL 2025 season merits a reward with a place in the national team.

Detailing his preferred bowling attack, Kaif named all-rounders Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar as key components of his playing XI. His lineup features a three-pronged spin attack comprising Kuldeep Yadav, Varun Chakravarthy, and Washington Sundar. For the pace department, he selected the trio of Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, and Mohammed Siraj as the frontline seamers.

Here is how Mohammad Kaif's India's squad for Asia Cup looks like:

Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Suryakumar Yadav (c), Axar Patel (vc), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Washington Sundar, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakaravarthy, Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj, Jitesh Sharma.

India, who are placed in Group A, will start their Asia Cup 2025 campaign with a clash against UAE on September 10 followed by a face-off against arch-rivals Pakistan on September 14. India will then take on Oman on September 19 in their last group-stage match.